


Up on the Housetop

by skarlatha



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Christmas Fluff, Daryl is a Good Dad, Established Relationship, M/M, Rickyl Writers' Group, Rickyl Writers' Group Secreter Santa 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 17:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8925964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skarlatha/pseuds/skarlatha
Summary: Daryl goes out of his way to give little Judith a good Christmas. Rick is a lucky man.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CarburetorCastiel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarburetorCastiel/gifts).



> A stocking stuffer fic for Hiero, as a thank-you for setting up the Rickyl Writers' Group Secret Santa exchange!

Rick feels Daryl climb back into bed around four a.m., and in a half-asleep display of instinct, he reaches out to put an arm around him and pull him in close. This happens to be a bad idea, as Daryl's skin is  _ ice cold  _ and Rick comes wide awake and lets out a yelp of surprise. 

"Pansy," Daryl mutters. 

"You're freezing," Rick says, as if Daryl doesn't know that already. He pulls the blankets over Daryl quickly, rubbing at the other man's arms through the material. "What the hell were you doing?"

"Was outside." Daryl relaxes his muscles and lets Rick warm him up. 

"Okay, but _why_ were you outside?" 

Daryl sighs and then rolls over to face Rick. "Look, it's nothing, okay? I was just doing some Christmas shit."

Rick raises an eyebrow. "We already put the presents out for the kids." 

"Yeah, but..." Daryl trails off, and Rick waits him out until the other man finally speaks. "It's just that the other day, Judy asked if Santa was real. I told her yes, I ain’t sure she believed me." 

"She  _ is _ getting to that age," Rick agrees, a rush of melancholy slipping over his skin at the thought of his little girl getting older. "Maybe it's time to come clean." 

Daryl is quiet for so long that Rick thinks for a moment that he's gone to sleep, but then he just shakes his head and burrows deeper into the covers. "Not yet. Maybe next year. I just want one more year, you know?" 

Rick laughs softly and kisses Daryl's forehead, all cold skin and messy bangs under his lips. "Okay, baby. We can have one more year." Daryl hmms at that, and Rick scoots closer in to him to speed up the warming process. "So what were you doing outside?"

Another long pause, then: "Putting reindeer prints on the roof." 

Rick blinks. "You were up on the roof. In the snow." Daryl grunts, and Rick smacks him through the blanket. "You could have slipped and broken your neck. What were you thinking?"

A huff of breath escapes Daryl's lips and he opens his eyes again, narrow slivers glinting in the dim moonlight from the window. "She won't take my word for it. She needs proof."

"Proof."

"Yeah."

"In the form of reindeer prints. On the roof." 

"Yeah," Daryl says again. "And, uh, sleigh tracks. Which I made with a two-by-four but she don't have to know that." 

Rick leans back and stares at Daryl, wondering for the hundredth time that day how he'd managed to find someone as amazing as Daryl who also loved Rick's kids like his own. Daryl is sweet and strong and funny and sexy as all hell, and Rick is just glad to have him in his life. 

"What you looking at?" 

"Nothing," Rick says. "I just love you." 

Daryl smiles a little and then closes his eyes again. "Merry Christmas, Rick."   
  
Rick snuggles in and kisses Daryl's head again. "Merry Christmas, darlin'." 


End file.
